GUNMEN STORM UVIRA PRISON AND FREE PRISONERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000362

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS CG
SUBJECT: GUNMEN STORM UVIRA PRISON AND FREE PRISONERS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Samuel V. Brock for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)


1. (SBU) Both MONUC and press articles report that gunmen
stormed the central prison in Uvira (in South Kivu, across
Lake Tanganyika from Bujumbura) in the early morning hours of
April 9, freeing over 200 prisoners in the process. MONUC
reported that the gunmen were identified as fighters from the
Mai Mai Zabuloni group and the Burundian rebel group FNL
(Note: formerly Palipehutu-FNL, the group recently dropped
the prefix "Palipehutu" from their name during peace
negotiations with the GoB. End note). MONUC also noted that
the group staged a simultaneous attack on the home of an
FARDC officer, though he was not hurt. The reason for the
attack reportedly was to free a number of FNL cadre who were
jailed last week, the FNL having sought assistance from Mai
Mai Zabuloni to carry out the raid.


2. (U) A Reuters press report written by a Kinshasa-based
journalist quoted Uvira's territorial administrator as saying
that the fighters, who were armed with mahine guns and
rocket propeled grenades, attacked several parts of the town
at once, and that they had come to free some prisoners. He
said that three of the gunmen, one FARDC soldier, and a
female civilian were killed during the attack. The article
also quoted a local journalist as saying that the gunmen were
suspected to be FNL cadre associated with a local Mai Mai
group.


3. (SBU) However, two local contacts tell a different
story. According to an NGO official based in Bukavu, it was
Banyamulenge (ethnic Tutsi from South Kivu) from the 112th
non-integrated brigade (belonging to Patrick Masunzu of the
10th military region) who attacked the prison, aiming to free
some of their compatriots, and that local Mai Mai actually
intervened to try to stop them.


4. (SBU) Separately, a local journalist in Uvira provided us
with two other versions of events. One, which he claims to
be the local official account (and with which he disagrees),
is that a recently integrated Mai Mai commander was unhappy
with his FARDC rank and decided to attack Uvira in
retaliation. The journalist, however, said that the person
in question had never belonged to the Mai Mai, had no reason
to attack the prison, and that the bodies of the dead gunmen,
which he said were six in number, "appeared" Tutsi and were
wearing military uniforms (Note: The implication is that it
was indeed Banyamulenge soldiers who carried out the attack.
Also, a local FARDC officer said the shootout ended with 12
persons dead -- eight assailants, two soldiers, one
policeman, and a female civilian. End note).



5. (C) Comment: It is difficult at this point to ascertain
which version of events is what really happened. If in fact
the FNL and/or Mai Mai are the culprits, the prospects for
disarmament are not reassuring. We will continue to follow
this story. End comment.
BROCK